Kuska Biryani ( plain )

Ingredients

1 Cup: Basmati Rice
1 Big Onion( Finely Chopped )
2 Tsp: Ginger Garlic Paste
4 Green Chilly
1 Tsp: Coriander Powder
1 Small Tomato( Finely Chopped )
3/4 Tbsp:  Dried Mint Leaves, You can use Fresh Mint Leaves(Handful)
1 Tbsp: Coriander Leaves ( Finely Chopped )
1 Cup: Water
1/2 Cup: Milk
Salt to Taste

    

To Grind

2 Cloves
1 Inch Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamom

    

To Temper

3 Tsp: Oil
1 Bay Leaf
1 Star Anise
Pinch of Stone Flower
4 Curry Leaves

    

Other Ingredients

1 Tbsp: Coriander Leaves, Chopped
2 Tsp: Ghee

    

Method

• Soak the rice in water for 20 mins. Drain and wash it in tap water. Keep it aside.
•  
• Grind cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a spice grinder or mixie to a fine powder.
•  Slit the green chilies. Keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaf, stone flower, curry leaves and star anise, fry for a min. In a medium flame, add the ground spice powder, fry it for 30 secs. Add chopped onion and green chilly , fry it for 2 mins  until it changes golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, fry it until the raw smell vanishes. Add tomato, fry it until it turns soft and mushy.
• Now add mint leaves, coriander leaves and coriander powder, fry this for a min. Add rice, fry for another min, add water, milk and salt. Cover and cook it for 2 whistles in a cooker. Turn off the flame, let the pressure releases on its own.
• Open the cooker, add chopped coriander leaves and ghee, give a gentle stir with a fork.
• Hot, yummy kuska is ready to serve with spicy mushroom gravy and raita.

    Tips

• If you don’t have stone flower and star anise, just use bay leaf for tempering.
• If you have small onion(shallots), you can use that in place of large onion.
• Increase or decrease the number of green chilly according to your taste.
• You can also use 3 green chilies and 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder to this rice.
• Don’t add turmeric powder to kuska.
• Adding ghee after pressure cooking gives a nice taste and flavor to rice.
• You can use jeeraga samba rice in place of basmati rice.
• For basmati rice, the water ratio is 1 : 1.5 Water. You can use coconut milk in place of water or you can use 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of cow’s milk, like I did.